By Lehlohonolo Lehana, Live from Midrand.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) conference kicked off on Saturday, with proceedings to be centred around constitutional amendments.
Just over 2 000 delegates from across the country have gathered in Johannesburg to elect new leaders.
John Steenhuisen is being challenged by Mpho Phalatse for the position of federal leader.
In his opening address to the DA’s elective congress, party federal chairperson Ivan Meyer says they are readying themselves for a coalition government next year.
“We will rewire the public governance in South Africans. We want all South Africans to be part of a stronger DA. We need to establish a new South Africa. We need a government,” Meyer said.
Meyer says this is its largest ever Congress and also the party’s most diverse one – adding that 45% of the delegates are made up of non-public representatives from branches.
The Congress takes place under the theme: A strong DA to build a better future.
Tying in with the objective to bring the governing ANC down to below 50% at the polls in the 2024 general elections, Meyer said that the DA aims to dethrone the ANC in 2024.
“South Africa will go to the polls next year to end the ANC rule in South Africa.
“This Congress now serves notice to the ANC – pack up and go or face an electoral defeat in 2024.
“This Congress is thus giving notice that the ANC is the outgoing government in South Africa.
“This Congress further gives notice that the DA will lead a new coalition government in the Union Buildings in 2024.
“This Congress will showcase what the DA is already doing to solve the electricity crisis where the DA is governing.
“This historic Congress is the beginning of a better future for South Africa,” said Meyer to cheering delegates.
Meyer added that the Congress will table practical solutions to rebuild South Africa.
“These solutions are products of data, science, research, evidence and common sense. Evidence-based and data-led governance will enter the Union Buildings in 2024 and rewire public governance in South Africa.”
DA chief whip Siviwe Gwarube said the country is languishing in perpetual blackouts due to the “broken Eskom that was looted and brought to its knees by ANC cadres.”
“Small businesses are shutting their doors sending more people into the unemployment queues. Hospitals cannot save lives due to blackouts,” she said.
Continuous power cuts have started to affect the provision of water – a basic human right.
“The dream of a better life has turned into a nightmare.”
Gwarube said the ANC was once a liberation giant across Africa, but it has now “turned into the oppressor of its people.”
“It is about time that we completely write off the ANC as a party of the past, not the party of our future.
“A relic of the past that is completely disinterested in the liberation of its people from the clutches of poverty,” she said.
The DA chief whip added that the party has concrete proposals to cushion many South Africans against the rising cost of living.
Gwarube said the DA is demanding that government slashes fuel levies and extend the list of zero-VAT-rated goods, and tabled these proposals in Parliament.
“This was a proposal that would go a long way to save people from sheer hunger and desperation. The ANC government refused. They refused because they are not affected by the choices they make in government.
“Ministers don’t need to buy their own petrol; they are driven around in luxury. Ministers don’t need to buy their own houses; they get given two houses each, fitted with generators to shield them from load shedding.
“Ministers don’t need to worry about their safety every night, they are guarded by 24–hour security everywhere they go. This is why we have a government that is out of touch.”
Western Cape DA delegate Jane Du Toit said it was an exciting day and she was proud to be a member of the party.
Du Toit said the opportunity to elect new leadership reflects the DA’s ability to bring and drive change.
“It just fills me with joy to be here and to be a part of this. The party has worked very hard for its people and I believe they will continue to do so,” she said.
Meanwhile an amendment that would have ensured that the DA has a federal deputy leader failed when delegates were voting on amendments of the party’s constitution.
This is one of the amendments that saw a division in the congress to the extent that the presiding officer had to not only call for a rerun of the of vote, but there had to be a manual vote of those who voted for and against the amendment.
As the counting was taking place, delegates from Gauteng sang: “We are ready for a deputy leader”. But in the end, the amendment did not pass.
Voting for the proposed amendments was done through a visual count after the presiding officers found the presence of broadcast media appeared to compromise the use of the online voting tool.
“We were worried that one delegate would not be able to use their voting device, and we then immediately changed to a system of red and green cards,” said congress presiding officer Greg Krumbock.
In his motivation for the amendment, proposer Sakhile Mngadi said the establishment of the role will benefit plans to grow the party.
“The DA is once again on a path of growth. With this, comes great challenges for senior office bearers due to demand etc. To ensure executive continuity, stability and effectiveness, the position of deputy leader provide the party with the opportunity to expand access to the executive and ensure that roles, access, availability and workload is shared evenly amongst recognisable personalities,” said the ward councillor from Ethekwini.
The proposal was defeated by a narrow margin after a revote.
This was also the only proposed amendment, out of the more than 80 that were considered, for which the constitutional review committee’s recommendation was recorded as “neutral”.
At the same time, delegates voted in favour of empowering the party’s federal legal commission to make binding rulings in addressing disputes. The amendment was proposed by member of parliament Glynnis Breytenbach.
“This amendment seeks to provide the FLC the power to make rulings that are not only recommendations, as is currently the case, but that are binding rulings,” Breytenbach said in her motivation.
Voting for the amendments ended ahead of schedule.
Steenhuisen said he is ready to be led by Phalatse if he is not re-elected as DA leader on Sunday.
“I am a democrat, I have always been led by many people in the Democratic Alliance. If I am not successful on Sunday I will take my seat back in Parliament, and I will work every day to make sure that Mpho Phalatse is the most successful DA leader that we have ever had. That is what democrats do, we do not walk out, we do not throw our hands up and run factions and fractions. And I think every candidate should be doing the same,” he said.
Phalatse said it is not the number of years in a party that determines the best leaders. She says Jacob Zuma, despite his years in the ANC, was a horrible president, but Barack Obama, with much less time in politics, was one of the best presidents the US ever had.
The big day is tomorrow, when delegates will vote for the party’s leadership. Organisational reports will also be heard, and congress will pass resolutions.
The election results are expected at 14:00, and whereafter the new leader will address congress.
Watch Live in the video:
Video Courtesy of DA.